Gilmour hits out at SFL clubs

ST MIRREN chairman Stewart Gilmour last night branded the SFL clubs’ decision to send Rangers into the Third Division as “catastrophic” for the Paisley side and predicted five top-tier outfits could be in administration within weeks.

“I just hope they realise the damage they have done to Scottish football,” rapped the furious Saints supremo.

Gilmour still can’t believe the 30 clubs at Friday’s SFL summit dismissed the warning signs for the game that were put out by chief executives Stewart Regan at the SFA and Neil Doncaster at the SPL who at the same time offered league reconstruction and a better distribution of cash in a grand plan aimed at taking Scottish football forward.

Both men are now battling for survival after their advice to put Rangers into the First Division was ignored by SFL clubs who voted 25-5 to put the Ibrox side into the basement division instead.

Now Gilmour will return from a break in Spain to front a Saints board meeting following tomorrow’s SPL agm which is expected to look at ways of somehow getting Gers into a second tier of Scottish football.

I just hope they realise the damage they have done to Scottish football

St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour

But he can’t forgive SFL clubs for their decision and blasted: “This is horrific news for St Mirren. The consequences are terrible – catastrophic even. The board will meet in the days after the SPL meeting and decide what is the best way forward but we are already looking at major redundancies.”

And he insisted the SFA initiative that was so roundly rejected will prove to be a missed opportunity for the game.

“It was a good document from Stewart Regan,” he said. “It set out changes to Scottish football that would bring a fairer structure, fairer distribution, fairer everything.

“Unfortunately, the people in the SFL have not bought into that. I just hope they realise the damage they have done.

“Five clubs in the SPL could be in administration within weeks – and we will have to do everything we can to avoid being one of them.”

However, Dundee United have insisted they would not countenance a reversal of the decision.

A club statement read: “Following yesterday’s democratic vote by the SFL clubs in favour of admitting The Rangers Football Club as an associate member of the SFL, but with the Third Division being the only acceptable position, Dundee United will now focus on our upcoming campaign while working together with the other SPL clubs to ensure the stability of the SPL and Scottish football in what will be an uncertain and extremely challenging financial environment.

“For the avoidance of doubt, following yesterday’s vote, the club would not support any counter proposals for the formation of SPL2 or regarding any other route for The Rangers Football Club to join the SPL.”